Jeremie Frimpong‘s return from injury came with elite efficiency against West Ham, with his two attempted passes leading to one goal and one near-assist.
Liverpool were without Frimpong for five matches due to the groin injury he sustained early on against Qarabag in the Champions League, leaving midfielders to predominantly fill in at right-back.
But the Dutchman’s return ought to give Arne Slot the dynamism he needs out wide, and he has already seen the benefits after Frimpong’s short but impactful cameo.
Liverpool’s No. 30 was introduced off the bench with 13 minutes left to play on Saturday and managed merely seven touches and two passes.
Ordinarily, you would gloss over such a cameo, but those two passes led to Axel Disasi’s own goal and Trey Nyoni‘s chance at his first senior goal.
They both came from near or inside the penalty box, as **FotMob**‘s heat map shows (above), a danger area that Joe Gomez did not exploit as much throughout his 77-minute outing.
Frimpong was also successful with his only attempted dribble, one of only three Reds to complete one throughout the match, while Gomez did not attempt any.
Liverpool have been missing pace from wide positions
Joe Gomez vs. Jeremie Frimpong: A quick look
Statistic (vs. West Ham) Gomez Frimpong
Minutes Played 77 13
Touches 68 7
Dribbles Completed 0 1
Chances Created / Goals Led To 0 2
*Data via FotMob. Includes Disasi own goal and Nyoni chance.
It underlines the importance of having a front-footed player, both capable and willing to make explosive runs towards the penalty area and stretch the pitch, which is something Liverpool have lacked this season.
There is the obvious caveat of West Ham having tired by the time Frimpong was introduced, but it was another reminder of how desperately the Reds have needed pace and dynamism.
And it’s of the utmost importance that Frimpong stays fit between now and the end of the season.
With Mo Salah not the electric force he once was and Cody Gakpo also lacking raw pace, Liverpool have needed to find it from elsewhere, which is why the injuries at right-back have been costly.
Rio Ngumoha is another option on the left wing who can be injected to make something happen, as we saw at Nottingham Forest, but Slot is keen to protect the 17-year-old.
Expect it to be the focus during the summer transfer window, but for now, the majority of Liverpool’s eggs might be in Frimpong’s basket.
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